High ability people often – even typically – have personality characteristics that include high intensity or excitability.

This is another trait that earlier in my life led me to think I was “crazy” – partly because it was an inner experience I had not read about or heard others talk about, and it is in many ways private. I tended – for a time, at least – to think of it sometimes as being “pathologically” passionate or emotional.

Polish psychiatrist and psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski developed a theory of personality and emotional development that is often applied toward understanding the psychology of extra intelligent and intense, gifted and talented individuals.

One aspect of his Theory of Positive Disintegration is the concept of unusual intensity and reactivity, which he called overexcitability.

“Another way of looking at is of being spirited – ‘more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, energetic’…It would be hard to find a person of talent who shows little evidence of any of the five overexcitabilities.”

But they also note that many people may not welcome such traits: “Unfortunately, the stronger these overexcitabilities are, the less peers and teachers welcome them.”

“I’ve never been able to live according to that external standard of ‘just right’. Artists are often ‘too much’. It’s the job of the artist and writer to reflect what they see and feel.

“This expression of their art and talents must be larger than life. The trouble is, our expression doesn’t always jibe with what’s going on in the ‘normal’ world.”

Do you ever “stifle yourself” to more easily get along with that ‘normal’ world?

I certainly do – but it can be an emotionally costly choice, and one that inhibits creative energy and expression.

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Using intensity and pain

Cheryl Arutt, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in creative artist issues among topics, notes that “Creating art has always been a way to channel emotional intensity.”

She points out in a world “where destructive acting out is all too frequent (and meticulously documented and sensationalized on the news and TMZ), sublimating painful feelings by expressing them in the form of artistic expression allows the artist to choose to ‘act out’ in a way that is constructive.”

She adds, “Many creative people carry the belief that their pain is the locus of their creativity, and worry that they will lose their creativity if they work through their inner conflicts or let go of suffering.

“These artists hold onto their pain as if it were a lifeline, even finding ways to enhance it, leading to some patterns of behavior that won’t ‘turn off’ even when they want them to.”

The challenge for creative and intense people, she explains, is “Finding ways to maintain that optimal zone where we are neither under- or over-stimulated” which “allows us to use our minds to respond rather than to react.

“If you are an artist, you are your instrument. The greater access you maintain to yourself, the richer and broader your array of creative tools.”

Here is a short audio clip of material from the article, followed by some quotes:

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Lesley Sword, Director of Gifted & Creative Services Australia, explains that the term overexcitability “conveys the idea that this stimulation of the nervous system is well beyond the usual or average in intensity and duration.”

She notes that “Michael Piechowski, who worked with Dabrowski, explains overexcitabilities as “an abundance of physical, sensual, creative, intellectual and emotional energy that can result in creative endeavours as well as advanced emotional and ethical development in adulthood.

But living with intensity means needing to respect our needs for mental health and stability, and working with powerful passions and excitabilities, while not trying to suppress or “fix” them.

These emotional and intellectual intensities of high ability people can be challenging.

Psychologist and creativity coach Eric Maisel says that ‘smart’ people often experience characteristic challenges including “difficulties with society and the world, issues at work, challenges with your personality and your racing brain, and special meaning problems.

“You may have chalked up your emotional distress, existential problems, work troubles, insomnia, relationship issues, and other difficulties to a variety of common causes like some ‘mental disorder,’ some biological malfunction, some feature of your childhood, or some shadow in your personality.

“But the poignant truth may be that some or many of these difficulties may be flowing directly from your natural endowment.”

Author Christine Fonseca provides a summary of intensity in children – and, of course, children go on to become adults, with many of the same qualities and challenges:

“Intensity comes in the form of cognitive intensity – those aspects of thinking and processing information that all gifted individuals use to problem solve. It relates to the attributes of focus, sustained attention, creative problem solving, and advanced reasoning skills.

“Most people think of cognitive intensity as intellect, or ‘being smart’ – all good things.”

She continues:

“But a gifted child’s intensity does not stop there. The emotional aspects of a gifted individual are also intense. Emotional intensity refers to the passion gifted people feel daily.

“It also refers to the extreme highs and lows many gifted people experience throughout their lifetime, causing them to question their own mental stability from time to time.

“This type of intensity is a natural aspect of giftedness. However, in my experience, it is also one of the most misunderstood attributes – and it is the reason gifted kids sometimes struggle.”

About Douglas Eby

Douglas Eby (M.A./Psychology) is author of the Talent Development Resources series of sites including High Ability; Highly Sensitive and Creative; The Creative Mind and others - which provide "Information and inspiration to enhance creativity and personal development." Also see Résumé.

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The Creative Mind is part of a series of sites by Douglas Eby - providing information and inspiration for exploring your creativity and personal development.